Guess who came to dinner - Matt Laura and the kids !!

Sunday night late, the Thai Air flight finally arrived in Penang and lo and behold who should disembark, but daughter and her husband and five of our six (almost 7) grandchildren.  Much celebration and merry making commenced. Northam Beach was a requested destination for the first nights dinner, and it did not disappoint.  

We showed 'em how to order food and fill a table, and then empty plates. A sight to behold as we did some serious damage to the inventory of food there.  

Even sporting some new tattoos on a couple of the kids.

Aunt (or occasionally Uncle to John Paul) Linda introduced the pets, here she is learning once again how to listen to two kids talking at once, as Isaac foreground lower left is talking and Luke lower right is working like the dickens to get some point made or acquire some information.  — Probably both— when he gets the floor, he likes to take advantage - can't say I blame him either.

Twiga, the cat, has been most patient with the kids, allowing herself to be carried and petted. The other cats are a bit more wary.

Linda does seem to have enough drawing pencils — or rather Emily used to — the week is yet young.

One morning Kate, bless her soul, took the kids, Matt, Patt and I on a Penanag Hills hike. For the uninitiated they (the hills and the hikes) are somewhat famous, at least in our family. I blogged about them in October of 2011 and will again. Charles and Kate took Matt and Laura on one the first evening they were here and Patt and I have been on several with Charles and Kate since we have been here. Patt goes to Station 3 by herself too. (Mark - Kate took us to the beginning of the Jesselton trail— yes that steep one that starts off with the scramble).

Kate with the big three at a resting point after one of the early scrambles.

John Paul on the first scramble. Doing great too. After he got the hang of it he really took off. A bit of loose sand was a bit of a tough navigation, but he went after it. Patt and Luke were a bit slower.

Now Isaac really enjoyed it. Dry season makes it look like fall. The temperature, in the high 30s — that is centigrade means it is upper 90s— fall it is not.

Isaac, Lydia, Julianna, and Kate going up one of the steep sections — it was great fun according to the kids. They did great and said they really liked jungle hiking. I know I do.

Patt and John Paul — at this time Matt is helping Luke and we are in two distinct groups.

Just before we separated groups, John Paul with me and the big three with Kate.  It was an out and back hike on the trail. The trip back down was also a challenge too - especially where it was slippery due to loose sand and lots of dried leaves. The swimming pool in Charles and Linda's back yard was a welcome sight when we got back home. We are looking forward to more days of adventures here.